Filter



(No Model.)

J.-M. Romsolv.`

" FILTER.

No. 554,312. Patented Fab. 1l, 1896.Y

AN DRfW EFAHAM. HOTOLITHV/ASHINGTUN DE IINTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

JOllN M.. ROBINSON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

FILTER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 554,312, dated February 11, 1896.

Application led May 14,1895. Serial No. 549,313. (No model.)

To all whom t may cocccrlt Beit known that I, JOHN M. ROBINSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of' Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Filters, of which the following is a specification.

The object of myinvention is to provide a simple, cheap, and effective means for cleansing the beds of filters, particularly such filters as are used for cleansing and purifying water for household purposes. In filters of' this class the solid impurities in the Water form a tenacious film or layer upon the upper surface ofthe filter-bed which is more or less difficult to remove. It has been attempted to remove this deposit by means of Water sprayed from the arms of a Barkers mill rotating within the filter; but such an arrange ment is troublesome, because the power of such a device is feeble and its rotation would be easily stopped, and, furthermore, because it requires carefully-made joints to introduce the water under pressure to the hollow rotating shaft of the mill. Other forms of stirring devices for the bed have been operated by power from a motor outside of the filter; but such an arrangement requires a carefullypacked joint where the power-shaft enters the filter, and it involves the first cost and the maintenance of the motor.

In my invention the surface of the filterbed is broken up or abraded, when it is desired to cleanse the filter, by chains or equivalent devices, such as teeth, which may be generically called drags,`attached to a motor-wheel revolving in a horizontal plane a short distance above the top of the filter-bed and ,driven by a tangential jet of water applied to suitable paddles upon the rim of the wheel. The tangential j et of water acts with considerable force upon the Wheel, and incidentally it tends to rotate the entire body of: water Within the filter above the bed, thus creating a current which washes off the dirt loosened up by the drags.

For a detailed description of the invention reference is had to the accompanying` drawings, in Which Figure 1 is a sectional view of the upper part of a filter, taken on the line x a; of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a plan view, partly in section, on the line y y of Fig. 1, a portion being broken away to show the nozzle. Fig. 3 is a side View of a portion of the rim of the jetavheel, and Fig. 4 is a section on the line e z of Fig. 3.

In the drawings, 1 indicates the cylindrical casing of a filter, and 2 the bed of the filter,

.which may consist of sand, gravel, charcoal,

or other suitable material. The casing of the filter is closed at the upper end by'a head 3. In the operation of filtering, the water is introduced into the casing above the bed, as shown, through the pipe 4, which is inserted in the head V3. The Water passes down through the bed, leaving most of' its impurities upon the upper layer of material, and it is drawn off at or near the bottom in any suitable manner. As my invention only relates to the upper portion of the filter it is not considered necessary to illustrate'means for drawing off the purified water.

.lust above the filter-bed I provide a horizontal j et-wheel 5 having on its periphery 6 a series of blades or paddles 7, against which a jet of water-may be directed from the nozzle S of "an inlet-pipe 9 which is tapped into the casing opposite the Wheel. The diameter of the jet-wheel is somewhat less than the diameter of the casing so that there may be room for the nozzle 8 between them. The nozzle is turned so as to direct the jet of Water against the paddles and tangentially to thc rim of the wheel. The rim is supported upon suitable arms 10, and depending from one or more of these arms are chains or drags 11 which are drawn over the surface of the bed when the Wheel is rotated and tend to agitate the upper layer of material and break up the scum which forms on it.

rIhe j ct-wheel may be formed in any suitable manner; but I prefer a form substantially as shown, in which the rim is of sheet metal and the paddles are composed of tongues of the metal stamped out and bent radially outward, either in curved or straight lines.

The jet-Wheel is supported upon .bearings wholly within the filter, Which bearings may be attached to the casing or to the head. As shown, the Wheel is fixed on a shaft 12, mounted in bearings 13 upon an arm 14. cast integral with the cover 3. The Wheel is suspended in these bearings by a collar 15 rigidly connected to the upper end of the shaft. A large overflow or wash-out pipe l0 is provided for the escape of the wash-water when the filter is being cleansed.

Then the filter is in use the water enters through the pipe 4 and passes slowly down through the bed, the valves in the pipes 9 and 1G being closed. lVhen it is desired to clean the filter-bed the valve in the pipe et is closed and the pipes 9 and 1G are opened, the pipe 9 being supplied with water under considerable pressure. The jet from the nozzle S rotates the j et-wheel with considerable power, causing the drags ll to break up the surface of the bed and the deposit of solid impurities which are collected on it, and the rotating current of water caused by the jet and the wheel takes up these impurities and carries them to the large wash-out pipe l0. The impurities are naturally thrown to the outside by centrifugal force and readily pass into the wash-out pipe. 'Vhile the upper surface of the filter bed is being washed water may be turned into the lower part of the iilter and allowed to pass slowly up through the bed to carry upward theimpurities which have been intercepted below the upper surface, the outlet-pipe being large enough to carry ofi this additional water. The means for introducing the wash-water from the bottom of the iilter is not shown, as this is a common feature in filters of this class.

The construction above described is very simple and inexpensive to manufacture and durable and economical in use. The Water from the tangential nozzle is used in rotating the motor or j et Wheel and also as wash-water to carry off matter loosened up bythe drags.

It will be evident that various changes in the mechanical details of my invention may be made without departing from the spirit thereof. Hence I do not wish to limit myself to the precise construction and arrangement of parts illustrated and described.

Vhat l claim isl. The combination, in a filter having a casing and a lter-bed, of a horizontal jet wheel arranged above the bed and mounted in bearings within the casing, a nozzle arranged to apply a jet of water to the wheel whereby it is rotated, drags suspended from the wheel and arranged to travel upon the surface of the bed, and a wash-out pipe above the iilter-bed through which the wash-water may pass oft, substantially as described.

2. In a iilter having a casing and bed, the combination with the horizontal jet-wheel consisting of radial arms, a sheet-metal rim attached to the arms and paddles formed of tongues stamped from the rim and bent outwardly, of drags attached to the arms and arranged to rest upon the bed, a tangential nozzle tapped into the casing and arranged to play upon the paddles, and a wash-out pipe, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN M. ROBINSON.

lVitnesses:

E. A. IIENDRroKsoN, J. S. BRAND. 

